Beach Volleyball | 3/9/2016 8:36:00 PM

LARKSPUR, Calif. – The San Francisco beach volleyball team continued its hot start to the season, moving to 6-0 after picking up a pair of victories on its home court on Wednesday.

The Dons took down conference opponent Portland with a 5-0 sweep, and then followed it up with a 3-1 victory over San Jose State in the USF Invitational, held at Piper Park. The six match streak is the best in program history.

"I am very proud of our team's resilience today in unusual conditions of rain early and darkness late in the day," said co-head coach Gilad Doron. "Our team fought through ups and downs to get two more very important wins.

"Team five got two wins under their belt playing for the first time together and they came from behind versus San Jose State. It was great to see them grow."

The Dons hosted the newest WCC program to adopt beach volleyball in the first match of the day. USF's No. 5 pairing was close in the first set, with USF leading 11-10 midway. Then Kim Gutierrez and Madison Murtagh ran off seven straight points to open up the lead and the eventual two-set sweep.

At No. 4, Kiara McKibben and Jessica Gaffney took a wire-to-wire sweep, with an impressive 21-8 first set score to earn the second point of the day for the Dons. Then, No. 3 duo of Courtney Sabahi and Emily Reed trailed Monica Gajda and Sarah Savoca in the first set 3-0 before a 12-1 run turned the tide as the Dons took over the court to clinch the victory. USF duo of Jurja Vlasic and Katarina Pilepic extended the lead after taking the win at No. 2.

The Dons top pair of Oluoma Okaro and Sara Staengle outlasted their opponents down the stretch to earn the first shutout of the season. USF trailed in the opening frame 5-2 before a string of eight unanswered for the Dons to gain the lead in the 21-8 first set. Portland's Hannah Troutman and Morgan Robinson battled back to tie the match in the second, 26-24. Okaro's line drive closed the tight third frame with a 15-13 win in favor of the home team in the morning session.

In the nightcap against San Jose State, USF got on the board first after McKibben and Gaffney finished off their opponents 16-21, 21-19, 15-9, scoring the final nine points on the court to secure the win.

Then, the Dons gutted out another three-set victory at the No. 5 position. After going down after the first frame, and trailing 19-17 in the second, Gutierrez and Murtagh rallied for the 22-20 win in the second. A 15-11 third set gave the pair the point over San Jose State's Julie Golbeck and Julie Sam, their second victory on the day.

San Jose State earned the point at the No. 3 position, but the Dons were able to rally to clinch at the No. 2 position. The match was suspended due to darkness overtaking the courts with the Dons taking the 3-1 victory.

Next, the Dons travel to Sacramento State to try to keep the winning streak intact. USF faces off with the host Sacramento State Hornets on Saturday at 10 a.m., before meeting up with Santa Clara at 1 p.m.
 

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USF 5, Portland 0
No. 1 - Okaro/Staengle (USF) def. Troutman/Robinson (POR); 21-8, 24-26, 15-13
No. 2 - Vlasic/Pilepic (USF) def. Lindberg/Mandon (POR); 21-19, 21-9
No. 3 - Sabahi/Reed (USF) def. Gajda/Savoca (POR); 21-10, 21-11
No. 4 - McKibben/Gaffney (USF) def. Barker/Milovic (POR); 21-8, 21-16
No. 5 - Guttierez/Murtagh (USF) def. Markwith/Sullivan (POR); 21-14, 21-16
 
San Jose State 4, Portland 1
No. 1 - Menhart/Tresnakova (SJSU) def. Troutman/Robinson (POR) 21-16, 21-11
No. 2 - Scholl/Roy (SJSU) def. Lindberg/Mandon (POR); 21-10, 21-16
No. 3 - Hirai/Meehan (SJSU) def. Gajda/Savoca (POR); 21-18, 22-20
No. 4 - Barker/Milovic (POR) def. Gavio/Andrade (SJSU); 21-17, 13-21, 15-13
No. 5 - Golbeck/Sam (SJSU) def. Markwith/Sullivan (POR); 21-13, 21-15
 
USF 3, San Jose State 1
No. 1 - Okaro/Staengle (USF) vs. Menhart/Tresnakova (SJSU); 16-21, 20-15, suspended due to darkness
No. 2 - Vlasic/Pilepic (USF) def. Roy/Scholl (SJSU); 21-16, 21-13
No. 3 - Hirai/Meehan (SJSU) def. Sabahi/Reed (USF); 21-12, 25-23
No. 4 - McKibben/Gaffney (USF) def. Andrade/Gavio (SJSU); 16-21, 21-19, 15-9
No. 5 - Murtagh/Gutierrez (USF) def. Golbeck/Sam (SJSU); 18-21, 22-20, 15-11